Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-27
Remarkable Climatic Chaliges,


The arid zone. the land that has so
long resisted the encroachment of set
tiers. and whose only crop for many
years was bankrupts, is now being
rapidly settled, writes Salina, Kan,
correspondent OF the New York San.
During the past year almost 200, 900
people settled on that portion of it
which liGg III Kansas. The rain belt
has moved westward far beyond the
Tooth meridian, or, to be more accurate,
q new rain belt has been created. For
thirteen years. from 1870 to 1888, men
entered the arid zone, built houses,
| plowed the prairie sod. sowed grain,
and attempted to farm. They lost their
money. their time. and, in many cases,
their courage. Many of these men re-
turned east to live on their wives rela-
tives. Other men took the abandoned
these. too, became Bankrupt and returns
ed to the e;Ist or pushed westward to
the highlands. All men of intelligence
knew that the arid zone waS unfit for
agricultural purposes. They knew that
the physical conti9uration Of the land
living west of the arid belt. and which
controls its climate. could not be
changed. The settlers, eager for land
and homes, continued to pour into the
dry region. At last they have been re-
warded They have secured three con-
secutive crops of grain, and the fourth
crop of wheat is in sight. So much
rain now falls in the eastern portion of
what was once the arid belt that it is
no longer fit for ao,ginter range for cattle.
If sufficient rain falls to wash the nutri-
mant out of the grass then there is sufii-
Gent rainfall to grow wheat to perfect
maturity.
During the three years last passed tho
wintcr-whcat producing belt has been
pushed Westward almost 800 miles. At
least 25, 100000 acres have been added
to the area of the American winter
wheat 3goowing field The land is
virgin. 1t produces No wuer-wheat.
1t now looks as though the arid zone
was 10 be the great winter-wheat pro-
ducing country,
What has wrought the change in the
climate of eastern Colorado and western
Kansas? That question can not be ac-
curately answered The winds blow
from the same direction they formerly
did, but they are not siroceo-like. The
transforms come from the west. gener-
ally, and in the past the west wind was
dry wind Ia my opinion the change
is due to'ihe extensive irrigation of tho
! land lying along the eastern base of the
| Rocky mountains. Great rivers, which
head in Aho perpetual snow-banks of
| those mighty ranges, have been turned
/ into irrigation bitches. and the water
/ which formerly ran wastefully 10 the
/ Gulf of Mexico has been Earned on TO
/ the ARID plains. There it soaks into the
soil The wind sweeping over the land
sucks up large portion of it. There is
moisture in the air. aad it is precipitated
/ rs ram on the plains of eastern Col
GRADE and western Kansas. So extern
siyely is irrigation praeticed in Colorado
4 that almost all the water was taken out
OF the South Platte river last year. Fifty
miles eastward from Denver the stream
WAS tiny rill As il is with the South
/ Platte. 50 it is with less important
streams, and 80 1t will be with streams
of larger volume.
The system OF irrigation which has
been applied to the land lying along
the eastern base of the Rocky mountains
( is now being applied TO the western
/ slope and 10 the arid basin lying be-
tween the Rocky mountains and the
Sierra Nevada range In few years
] the water which now flows wastefully
I into the Colorado and the Columbia
Y v'll DC taken from the branches of
I those large streams and nsed TO irrigate
4 arid land II is highly probable that
tho climate Of the whole Rocky noun
I tain region will be changed in the near
\ future, and changed BY the irrigation OF
the land lying west OF It. More rain
will fall in the highlands during the
summer. The streams which drain the
eastern slopes viii remain full longer.
7 More water wiil be expended on the
plains. and ,uorc rain viii fall in Cox
orado and eastern Kansas. The arid
zone will practically disappear.